Signal gun



H. 0. RUSSELL AND C. L. PAULUS. SIGNAL GUN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I8, 1922.

1,436,532. Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

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i I .ILLE LIIIII Patented Nov. 2l, i922.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT O. RUSSELL, 0F DETROIT, IMICHIGAN, AND CHARLES LEIGH PAULUS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SIGNAL GUN.

Application led April 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,407.

To all uzo'my it may concern.'

Be it known that we, HERBERT O. RUSSELL and CHARLES LEIGH Parmis, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Detroit and Dayton. in the counties of )Vayne and Montgomery and States of Michigan and Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Guns, of which the Jfollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a signal gun, the objectin view heilig to provide a signal gun intended to replace the present Very pistol. lleretot'ore, in signaling from an aircraft, it has been the practice to aim the pistol out over the side ot the ship in the act of firing a signal light. Due to the terric blast of air it has been diflicult to tire a pistol with one hand. Also when the spring ot' the Very pistol becomes weakened from long use the pistol is apt to miss tire, with a consequent danger to the ship, since accidental discharge is apt to occur after a misire and before the defective cartridge can be ejected overboard. The signal gun of this invention is intended to be mounted inside of the cockpit, with its muzzle extending thru a hole in the floor, or the side ot the ship, wherever it is considered advisable.

VV'th the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1, is a diametrical section thru the signal gun.

Figure 2, is a top plan View thereof, partia-lly in section.

Figure 3, is a view in elevation ot the gun.

Referring to the drawings, (1 designates the barrel ot the gun, which is shown provided wit-h lugs to enable the same to be mounted on an aircraft. (3) designates the breech block of the gun, which is connected to and displaceable with an L-shaped frame (4;). having a portion which extends along one side ot the barrel and is connected thereto by a pivot The gun is adapted to be fired by striking the hand upon a. knob (6) which is attached to the firing pin (T), having a striker which operates through a hole (9) in the breech block. The knob and firing pin are upheld by means of an extension spring (10) which surrounds the pin (7) as shown in Figure 1.

The pin (7) is slidable in a tubular guide (11) which is formed in one piece wit-h a latch lever (12) having at the :tree end thereof a locking lip (13) adapted to engage a corresponding lip (lei) on the gun. By pushing the knob (6) laterally,l in a direction away Jfrom the locking'lips (13) and (14), the breech of the gun may be thrown open to insert a new charge or cartridge, the old shell being automatically thrown out by an ejector (15) which is thrust upwardly by an extension lip (16) on the lower end of part 4 of the breech block.

It will be observed from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, that until the breech block is actually locked in its linal firing position,the gun cannot be fired, because the striker will hit the side of the hole (9). The gun may be loaded, fired and unloaded-or the empty shell ejected by the use of one hand only.

Having thus described our invention, we claim.:

1. In a. signal gun, a gun barrel, a movable breech block, a breech block locking lever carried by the breech block, and a firing pin carried by said lever and movable therewith into and out of tiring position.

2. In a signal gun, a gun barrel, a movable breech block, a breech block locking lever carried by the breech block, and a firing pin carried by said lever and movable therewith into and out of firing position, and

'a knob on said pin adapted to be struck by hand.

3. In a signal gun, a gun barrel. a movable breech block, a breech block locking lever carried by the breech block, yield-able means for holding said lever in locked position, and a firing pin carried by said lever and movable therewith into and out of firing position.

4. In a signal gun, a gun barrel, a movable breech block having an arm extending along the side of the barrel and pivotally atcarried by said lever and movable therewith into and out of firing position, and means for extracting the cartridge shell when the 10 breech block is displaced.

HERBERT o. RUSSELL. CHARLES LEIGH PAULUS. 

